Tooth cleaning device



March 17, 1964 H. s. LUTZ 3,124,824

TOOTH CLEANING DEVICE Filed March 2, 1962 Fles ATTORNEYS- United StatesPatent 3,124,824 TOOTH CLEANING DEVICE Herbert Spencer Lutz, New York,N.Y., assignor to International Process & Product DevelopmentCorporation, a corporation of New York Filed Mar. 2, 1962, ser. No.176,941 1 Claim. (Cl. 15-227) This invention relates to a tooth cleaningmeans which is adapted to be applied to the linger and utilized bydirect application of the finger to the teeth in place of a tooth brush.The device is preferably of a character and low cost such that it may bediscarded after a single use. It is also of such nature anti' is packedin such a way that it may be carried in the pocket or handbag and usedwherever and whenever opportunity affords and pref erably after eachmeal.

The tooth cleaning device takes the form of a cot which is of such shapeas to be easily slipped over the finger but is so formed that whensmoothed into place it will be retained upon the finger during use. Thismay be accomplished by giving the cot a tapered shape to a ratherpointed tip which can be drawn to either a large or small finger closelyenough to stay in place, while the open end of the cot is sufficientlywide to permit the finger to be introduced thereinto with ease.

The cot is preferably made of two thin layers of substantiallyimpervious non-toxic plastic. Attached to one side is a third layerconsisting of fiexible foam plastic of open cell structure which isfilled or impregnated or coated with a tooth cleaning and polishingcompound or dentrifice.

Any suitable type of dentrifice or tooth cleaning compound may beemployed, which is non-reactive with the plastic used, preferably acompound containing an abrasive such as kaolin, precipitated chalk, finepumice, iris root powder, magnesium oxides, etc., and a soap orsynthetic detergent, preferably of such nature as to produce foaming.Preferably included also are bactericidal, astringent, and flavoring andcoloring agents as desired. The soap or detergent used should be watersoluble, and the cleaning instrumentality after being applied to thefinger may be wetted as by dipping in water, or the saliva of the mouthmay be relied upon to cause the softening or saponiiication of the soapor other ingredients of the dentrifice.

One example of a dentrifice composition which may be used consists ofthe following ingredients: glycerin, water, sodium benzoate, gum,calcium carbonate, calcium phosphate and flavor agents.

Of course the foregoing composition is merely illustrative and any othersuitable composition may be substituted.

The cot is preferably packed in such a way as to be protected fromcontamination until the moment of use. For example, it may be enclosedin an envelope or protective covering of plastic film, cellophane orcellulosic sheet, which may be sealed by heat or otherwise and which maybe stripped off just before use.

The physical qualities of the foam can be controlled to produce abrasivecharacteristics for cleaning of the teeth without injury to the gums.The porous plastic not only carries an adequate supply of dentrifice butit is also very effective as an applicator to the teeth and as a meansfor cleaning crevices between the teeth, for removing stains from theteeth and as a means for massaging the gums.

In the accompanying drawings, one preferred embodiment of the inventionis illustrated. Obviously, changes in form may be made within the scopeof the invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation of the tooth cleaning device,

will preferably be assembled and secured together prior to attachment tothe rear film element, a part of the foam element being broken away toshow the film element thereunder;

FIG. 5 is an elevation of the rear film element before the front filmelement and foam element have been secured thereto.

Referring to the drawings in detail:

The cot 10 is formed of a size to fit over the finger. It is formed ofthree layers 12, 14 and 16. Layers 14 and 16 are cut to the same shapeand are joined by application of high frequency electric current. Thelayer 12 is provided with a tab 18 which extends down from the cot so asto form a fiap or tab for engagement by the fingers of the other handfor pulling the cot onto the finger. Layers 12 and 14 are formed of apreferably substantially water-proof plastic, while the layer 16 isformed of a foam plastic of open cell structure to be described. The cotpreferably has a tapered or pointed tip 20 and this tapered form ispreferably achieved by making one side 22 of the cot substantiallystraight and curving the other side Z4 of the cot away from the side 2t)in a diverging manner so as to leave it operi wide enough at the mouthfor a normally large finger. This shape of cot can be applied to afinger of almost any size, as a smaller finger will press more closelyinto the pointed tip of the cot and the cot will adhere to a smallfinger as Well as to a large finger.

The front film element 14 and the foam element 16 are preferably cutalong their lower edges so as to leave a downwardly projecting lobeindicated at 26 which may be held by the thumb when the first finger isprojected into the cot. In this way the cot may be firmly held upon thefinger during use. At the same time, the tab 18 of the member 12 isexposed so as to enable the cot to be readily opened and drawn over thefinger by the other hand.

A very convenient and economical method of manufacturing the deviceconsists of cutting out the outer film layer 14 and the foam layer 16 bysingle die operation as these pieces are made the same shape, the diebeing provided with means by which a high frequency current may beapplied around the entire margin of the two pieces so as to seal themtogether. The piece 12 is then cut with its own die and the joinedpieces 14 and 16 applied thereto and sealed by application of highfrequency current along the sides of the cot, the bottom of the cotbeing of course left unsealed so that the finger may be applied betweenthe layers 14 and 16.

The plastic materials used in the construction of the device must beflexible, insoluble in water and not reactive with the dentrifice used.They must also be nontoxic. Any plastic known to meet thesespecifications or which may become available in the future may be usedbut the materials which I have found most suitable and satisfactory arevinyl chloride or its cot-polymers. The two layers forming the cotproper are of this material in film form and preferably water-proof (tokeep the finger clean) while the foam layer is preferably of the same orsimilar chemical composition. The specific material which I prefer touse is a polyvinyl chloride, for instance, the material knowncommercially as Geon No. 121 made by the B. F. Goodrich Co. Includedwith this material are preferably a vinyl plasticizer, for instancedioctylphthalate and a vinyl stabilizer such as calcium stearate. Thefoam for the third layer is produced by any suitable foaming processsuch as introducing an inert gas, for example, nitrogen.

The foam should be of relatively line grain so as to receive and holdthe dentrice effectively. Foam having a density of tive or six poundsper cubic foot I have found suitable. A foam of the character describedwill retain up to 50% or more of dentrice.

The dentrice may be applied to the foam sheets by Spraying, dipping orotherwise before the sheets are cut and sealed, or if desired, thedentrice may be applied to the same after the cot has been completed.

The vinyl plastics have the advantage that the different layers may beassembled by the application of high frequency current which breaks downthe molecular structure to a suiiicient extent to cause a rm adherencebetween the layers without the use of any cement which might possiblyhave toxic qualities.

I claim:

A tooth cleaning instrumentality formed of two layers of thin plastic lmheat sealed along their longitudinal edges to form a cot, one layerbeing substantially longer than the other so as to project at the bottomof the cot to form a tab which may be grasped by the fingers of one handfor pulling the cot onto a linger of the other hand, the shorter layerof film having secured thereto a layer of plastic foam of substantiallythe same shape as said film layer, said shorter film layer and foamlayer having a lobe-like formation at the bottom thereof of smaller sizethan the extension tab on the longer plastic layer so as to leave a partof the extension tab exposed for grasping while still forming an areawhich may be overlapped by the thumb adjacent to the finger on which thecot is applied.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,018,903 Stevens Oct. 29, 1935 2,075,681 Welker Mar. 30, 1937 2,621,784Boytham Dec. 16, 1952 2,763,885 Lyons Sept. 25, 1956 2,915,767 VaughanDec. 8, 1959

